Crenshaw's bond with new teammate holds strong

Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 12:20 AM.

Matt Crenshaw’s latest victory in a Carolinas Golf Association major meant a return to high school and college roots in locating a teammate.

The Burlington man’s former high school rival and ex-college teammate Jonathan Jackson turned out to create the ideal pairing for the CGA Four-Ball Championship, which ended Sunday at Camden Country Club in Camden, S.C.

“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Crenshaw said Monday. “We’ve played a lot of the same tournaments around.”

Now they’re champions together after Crenshaw’s 12-foot birdie putt on the 20th hole was enough to defeat Paul Tucker of Waxhaw and Brent Roof of Columbia, S.C.

Crenshaw needed a new partner for the tournament because Burlington’s Blair Bowland, who was with him for the 2012 championship, was unavailable for this year’s event.

Crenshaw and Jackson had figured for some time that they might be ideal teammates in such a competition, Crenshaw said.

“It worked out fine,” Crenshaw said.

While Crenshaw played for Williams High School, Jackson was at then-conference rival East Chapel Hill. They competed against each other in college when Crenshaw was on the North Carolina team and Jackson played for South Carolina.

Jackson transferred to North Carolina to finish his college career, joining Crenshaw with the Tar Heels. Later, they were on the eGolf Tour at the same time.

During the past week, they were on the same side again.

“It was a lot of fun,” Crenshaw said of the tournament, which included a final that he described as “a crazy match. Both sides hit a lot of great shots. It was just tough all the way.”

The best example of that might have come with the match tied going to the 18thgreen. Crenshaw stuck an approach shot 8 feet from the hole.

“I thought that would really apply some pressure,” he said.

Roof responded with a shot a foot away, so the birdie putt was conceded. That required Crenshaw to sink his birdie putt to extend the match.

Crenshaw won the Carolinas Mid-Amateur last month, with Jackson placing in a fifth-place tie. Last year, they had been in the same pairing for a round in the North Carolina Mid-Amateur.

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Matt Crenshaw’s latest victory in a Carolinas Golf Association major meant a return to high school and college roots in locating a teammate.

The Burlington man’s former high school rival and ex-college teammate Jonathan Jackson turned out to create the ideal pairing for the CGA Four-Ball Championship, which ended Sunday at Camden Country Club in Camden, S.C.

“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Crenshaw said Monday. “We’ve played a lot of the same tournaments around.”

Now they’re champions together after Crenshaw’s 12-foot birdie putt on the 20th hole was enough to defeat Paul Tucker of Waxhaw and Brent Roof of Columbia, S.C.

Crenshaw needed a new partner for the tournament because Burlington’s Blair Bowland, who was with him for the 2012 championship, was unavailable for this year’s event.

Crenshaw and Jackson had figured for some time that they might be ideal teammates in such a competition, Crenshaw said.

“It worked out fine,” Crenshaw said.

While Crenshaw played for Williams High School, Jackson was at then-conference rival East Chapel Hill. They competed against each other in college when Crenshaw was on the North Carolina team and Jackson played for South Carolina.

Jackson transferred to North Carolina to finish his college career, joining Crenshaw with the Tar Heels. Later, they were on the eGolf Tour at the same time.

During the past week, they were on the same side again.

“It was a lot of fun,” Crenshaw said of the tournament, which included a final that he described as “a crazy match. Both sides hit a lot of great shots. It was just tough all the way.”

The best example of that might have come with the match tied going to the 18thgreen. Crenshaw stuck an approach shot 8 feet from the hole.

“I thought that would really apply some pressure,” he said.

Roof responded with a shot a foot away, so the birdie putt was conceded. That required Crenshaw to sink his birdie putt to extend the match.

Crenshaw won the Carolinas Mid-Amateur last month, with Jackson placing in a fifth-place tie. Last year, they had been in the same pairing for a round in the North Carolina Mid-Amateur.